What is account-based engagement, and how does it drive B2B growth?

In B2B, the hardest part isn’t finding prospects. It’s keeping them engaged.

Enterprise deals stretch across long sales cycles, with multiple decision-makers dipping in and out of the process. Plus, attention drifts fast even if you’ve identified the right accounts. Competitors crowd inboxes, priorities shift, and the real challenge is staying front of mind long enough (and with enough of the buying committee) to see the deal through.

That’s the gap that account-based engagement (ABE) fills.

If account-based marketing (ABM) is about directing resources to the right companies, ABE is about ensuring those companies actually respond. It’s not one-off targeting; it’s sustained, meaningful interaction with the people who matter.

This guide breaks down what ABE is, how it differs from ABM, the signals of genuine engagement, and the strategies, tools, and channels that make it work. And we’ll show you how Sopro approaches ABE to build relationships that don’t just start conversations but keep them alive until they turn into revenue.

What is account-based engagement?

Account-based engagement (ABE) is a coordinated way of building and sustaining relationships with the specific accounts you want to win.

Where traditional campaigns cast a wide net, ABE zeroes in on a defined list of companies and focuses on creating meaningful interactions with the people inside them. That doesn’t mean sending a single clever email and hoping for the best. It means consistent, tailored touchpoints across channels that show you understand the business, the challenges, and the individuals involved in making the decision.

The key features of ABE are:

• Targeted focus: Every activity is designed with a named account in mind.
• Multi-stakeholder outreach: Engagement goes beyond a single contact to reach the whole buying committee.
• Personalisation at scale: Messaging reflects the account’s priorities and the role of each stakeholder.
• Multi-channel presence: Email, LinkedIn, events, content – whatever channels matter most to your audience.
• Measurable interactions: Engagement isn’t clicks or impressions; it’s conversations, replies, demos booked, and deals progressing.

The benefits are clear. Instead of chasing leads, your team invests its time and budget where it matters: deepening relationships with the companies most likely to deliver long-term revenue.

ABE vs. ABM: What’s the difference, and how do they work together?

ABM and ABE are often lumped together, but they play very different roles. Let’s think of it as talking “at” vs. talking “with” your ideal customers.

With ABM, you market to your target audience – talking at them with materials your research tells you they need to hear to become customers. You identify the right accounts, map the decision-makers, and put your message in front of them. It’s one-sided communication in many respects, albeit to a very carefully chosen bunch of prospects.

ABE takes it further. Here, it’s all about talking and (you guessed it) engaging with those accounts: creating two-way, ongoing conversations across channels, with multiple stakeholders, over the course of a buying journey that could last months.

The two approaches aren’t rivals; they’re sequential. ABM sets the stage, making sure your time and resources go into the right companies. ABE takes that foundation and builds momentum, turning awareness into genuine engagement, and engagement into pipeline.

One without the other can mean everything falls flat. ABM alone risks being a list with no traction. ABE without ABM risks wasted effort on the wrong prospects. Together, they give sales and marketing teams a complete playbook to get in front of the right people and then make sure they actually want to keep talking.

The fix? Get yourself a B2B account-based marketing agency that knows ABE like the back of its hand.

Why ABE matters in B2B lead generation

In B2B, buying decisions aren’t made by one person clicking ‘buy now’. They’re made by groups, often six to ten stakeholders in decision-making units (DMUs), each with their own priorities and concerns. One might be focused on cost, another on integration, another on risk. Winning the deal means getting them all on side one way or the other.

This is where strategic, account-based engagement makes the difference. Here’s why:

• Buying committees are bigger → you need to build consensus through sustained, personalised communication with multiple stakeholders, not just one contact.
• Deals are harder to keep on track → Long decision cycles give competitors room to cut in. Consistent engagement keeps you front of mind and proactively manages your business reputation.
• Budgets are scrutinised → Companies are choosier about where they invest, so engagement proves that you’re committed to their success and worth serious consideration.
• Engagement is measurable → Attribution and tracking with brand-level awareness is notoriously tricky, but genuine engagement between individuals shows real traction. Replies, meetings, demos…it’s all momentum you can measure.

While ABM is essential for knowing what doors to knock on in the first place, ABE is what gets those doors open (and keeps them that way) until contracts are signed.

What signals high account engagement in ABE?

Okay, so we want to track engagement, but how do we know what signals to look out for?

Not all engagement is created equal. A click on an email isn’t the same as a stakeholder booking a demo, and in B2B, it’s essential to separate surface activity from signals that actually move a deal forward.

When you’re running account-based engagement campaigns, here are the boxes you want to tick:

• Multiple stakeholders involved: If you speak only to one contact, the risk is high, as you have to be certain that they’re the champion you need to sell your services internally. Quality engagement means decision-makers from different functions are part of the conversation.
• Two-way interaction: Replies, questions, meeting requests, and event attendance matter more than passive clicks or views.
• Depth of content consumption: Stakeholders spending time with case studies, pricing pages, or technical resources show stronger intent than those skimming blogs.
• Progressive actions: Engagement that builds (from opening an email to attending a webinar to requesting a proposal) is a reliable sign of pipeline movement.

Consistency over time: A burst of early activity followed by silence is a red flag. The best signals are steady, repeated interactions that suggest genuine interest. And don’t be afraid to follow up, either; our State of Prospecting research shows that replies don’t always come from the first outreach message.

How to align sales and marketing for ABE

Account-based engagement only works when sales and marketing act as one team. If the marketing team is firing out campaigns while sales are chasing different priorities, engagement quickly fizzles out. Alignment isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s the foundation of successful lead generation.

Every business is different, and you know your teams best, but here’s a rough idea of what strong sales and marketing alignment looks like in practice:

• Shared account lists: Sales and marketing agree on the same high-value accounts and work from a single source of truth. Don’t gatekeep – it only limits growth.
• Joint planning: Campaigns aren’t handed over; they’re built together. Sales insight shapes messaging, and marketing activity primes accounts for sales conversations.
• Consistent messaging: Whether a stakeholder reads an email, a LinkedIn post, or speaks to a sales rep, the story should connect.
• Feedback loops: Sales tells marketing what’s landing in calls, and marketing shares which content or campaigns are driving engagement. Both adjust in real time.
• Unified metrics: Success is measured by account engagement and pipeline movement, not vanity metrics for marketing or call volumes for sales.

When the two teams operate in sync like this, ABE becomes a seamless experience for the prospective customer: a steady, consistent dialogue that builds confidence at every stage of their buying journey.

The tools needed to execute ABE

In our experience, account-based anything isn’t something you can run effectively from a spreadsheet. Sure, the pool of targets is smaller, but this doesn’t mean your job is. To deliver consistently (and measure things properly), you need the right tech stack and expertise in place.

We recommend making sure you have the following locked and loaded.

1. A CRM

Your CRM is the backbone of ABE. It is the single source of truth on accounts, stakeholders, and every interaction. Without it, sales and marketing work from different playbooks, and engagement falls apart.

Sopro recommends: Salesforce or HubSpot

2. Engagement platforms

These tools surface insights on which accounts are active, what content they interact with, and where they are in the buying cycle.. By scoring and tracking engagement across channels, they help you focus resources on the accounts most likely to move and deliver calculated, well-timed messaging when it’s most likely to resonate. 

3. Outreach automation

Consistent, timely outreach is what turns ABM lists into active conversations. Outreach tools handle sequencing, follow-ups, and LinkedIn messaging at scale, but the best ones still leave room for a human touch.

Sopro recommends: Sopro

…seriously, we’re the best in the business at high-impact messaging that lands. Book a demo to see what you’re missing.

4. Buyer intent data

Knowing which accounts are actively researching your solution means you’re not starting cold. Intent data signals let you prioritise outreach and tailor messaging to where buyers are in their journey. 

Read our full guide on B2B buyer intent data for more information.

5. Analytics and reporting

Clicks and impressions don’t tell you much. You need dashboards that track deeper engagement signals (meetings booked, stakeholders reached, demos requested, opportunities created) so you can prove the pipeline impact of your efforts.

6. AI-assisted personalisation 

At scale, personalisation can become copy-paste. AI tools help tailor messaging by role, industry, or challenge while still keeping it authentic. It’s how you move beyond “Hi [First Name]” to messaging that resonates. 

When it comes to personalisation, the Sopro team knows its stuff. Check out our video walk-through of personalising emails at scale using AI.

How to personalise in ABE: A deeper dive

So, we know tools can help, but why does personalisation even matter in ABE? Tailored messaging is the difference between being noticed and being ignored. But in account-based engagement, it isn’t about dropping a first name into a subject line; it’s about showing stakeholders you genuinely understand their world, challenges, and objectives.

Here’s how to get it right:

1. Personalise at three levels

True personalisation needs to get granular. We always drill down to:

• Account-level: Reference company-specific priorities, such as recent funding rounds, product launches, or market moves.
• Role-level: Tailor messaging to what matters for the stakeholder’s function (a CFO cares about ROI, a CTO cares about integration, etc.)
• Individual-level: Where possible, weave in direct signals like LinkedIn activity, published content, or event attendance. It’s the details that make a lasting impression. 

Blend these three levels together into one holistic engagement campaign and you’re on to a winner.

2. Use data smartly

Pull in intent data, CRM notes, and engagement history to shape outreach. For example, if multiple people from an account are consuming technical resources, your next touchpoint should go deeper into product detail, not broad thought leadership.

Get the low-down on Sopro’s lead generation data to see what great looks like.

3. Scale without losing authenticity

Templates and automation are helpful, but they need to be flexible. The strongest ABE programmes strike a balance between structured messaging and room for reps to add nuance. AI tools can help here, suggesting tailored angles without diluting the human voice. 

Remember, you’re just one person trying to build a relationship with another person, and people are getting better and better at sniffing out AI slush from a mile away.

4. Make every channel feel connected

If a stakeholder engages with an email, sees a LinkedIn post, and later attends a webinar, the story should feel consistent and relevant at each touchpoint. Disjointed personalisation quickly looks like guesswork.

Done well, personalisation in ABE isn’t about gimmicks. It’s about making stakeholders feel your outreach is directly relevant to their priorities and worth their time. Sure, this takes effort, but being genuine means you’re more likely to win.

→ Learn more about multi-channel prospecting and why it outshines single-channel outreach every time.

The best channels for driving measurable account-based engagement

Account-based engagement isn’t about being everywhere at once. It’s about showing up in the channels where your target stakeholders actually spend time, and where you can measure real interaction.

1. Email

The numbers don’t lie. Our State of Prospecting research reveals conclusively that email is still the most direct, measurable way to start conversations. Replies, forwards, and meeting bookings are clear signals of intent, but make sure that any email sequences are tailored to each role and build naturally from one touchpoint to the next.

2. LinkedIn

For B2B, LinkedIn is where you build credibility. From sponsored content to connection requests to InMail, it’s a channel that reinforces your presence and allows for both one-to-one and one-to-many engagement.

Our advice? Keep it authentic. If you launch into lead generation on LinkedIn, trying to sell too hard or push too quickly, it’s an instant red flag for prospects. Remember that your goal is to build genuine relationships with people who might benefit from your product or service.

3. Events and webinars

Whether in-person or virtual, events provide high-value engagement through attendance, questions, and follow-up conversations. For many buying committees, these moments create the depth of interaction that pushes deals forward.

Pro tip: To create a sense of exclusivity, host a VIP webinar for your most important accounts. Limit attendance, tailor the content to their specific challenges, and make it interactive enough that stakeholders feel part of the conversation rather than passive viewers.

4. Content hubs and microsites

Dedicated landing pages or resource centres give accounts a tailored space to explore. Tracking visits, downloads, and return frequency provides strong engagement signals that go beyond surface clicks.

5. Retargeting

Account-based display ads or IP retargeting keep your brand front of mind. While not a channel for deep engagement on its own, it reinforces other touchpoints and nudges stakeholders back into conversation.

→ Discover how Sopro’s IP Match and Engage solutions can elevate your lead generation.

6. Direct and offline outreach

Not every engagement needs to happen on a screen. Direct approaches (well-timed calls, handwritten letters, account-specific reports, or thoughtful gifting) can cut through digital noise and leave a lasting impression. These touches feel personal, memorable, and harder to ignore, especially when combined with consistent digital engagement.

Overall, we find that the best ABE strategies don’t try to dominate every channel. They prioritise the two or three where accounts are most active, then orchestrate messaging across them so stakeholders experience a consistent, connected journey.

How to slot ABE into broader lead generation and outbound marketing tactics

Account-based engagement doesn’t replace your existing lead generation or outbound campaigns; it sharpens them. Where traditional outbound casts a wide net, ABE ensures your highest-value accounts get the most relevant, sustained attention.

To help make sure all your efforts are aligned, here’s an overview of how ABE supports other tactics:

• Cold email prospecting → Outreach to net-new accounts is still a powerful way to open doors. ABE takes it further by making sure those initial touches evolve into ongoing, multi-stakeholder conversations rather than one-off exchanges.
• Multi-channel nurture → Generic nurture campaigns often get ignored. With ABE, you adapt the cadence, channel mix, and messaging to specific accounts, so prospects see content that actually maps to their buying stage.
• Inbound and content marketing → Your inbound engine attracts interest. ABE makes that content work harder by putting it in front of the exact people you want to influence inside target accounts, and tracking whether it’s driving engagement across the committee.
• Paid media → Display and social ads can generate brand familiarity, but ABE keeps spending focused by retargeting known stakeholders and reinforcing other outreach.

A good way of thinking about how everything fits together is this: outbound opens doors, inbound generates interest, and ABE ensures the right accounts stay in the room long enough to become customers.

Measuring success in account-based engagement

Measuring engagement means moving beyond vanity metrics like opens and clicks. The focus should be on signals that prove accounts are progressing towards revenue.

Measure	What it shows	Why it matters
Depth of engagement	The quality of interactions: replies, meeting requests, demos booked, stakeholder questions.	Shows if outreach is leading to meaningful conversations, not just surface activity.
Breadth of engagement	The number of stakeholders from the account actively involved in conversations with you.	Reduces risk of relying on a single champion and builds consensus across the buying committee.
Momentum over time	Whether engagement builds progressively across touchpoints.	Indicates pipeline movement and flags stalled opportunities early.
Pipeline impact	The opportunities created, deal velocity, and win rates.	Connects engagement directly to revenue outcomes.
Retention & expansion	Post-sale account health with contract renewals, upsells, and advocacy.	Proves the long-term value of sustained engagement beyond acquisition.

Challenges in ABE (and how to overcome them)

Account-based engagement has a lot of upsides, but it isn’t without hurdles. The teams that make it work know where the friction points are and how to fix them. Here, our ABE experts share the most common issues and the best practices for overcoming them.

1. Scaling personalisation

The challenge: Personalisation often slips into generic templates when volumes rise.

The fix: Build frameworks that allow tiered levels of personalisation. Always use deep account research for top-tier prospects to lighter role-based tailoring for broader lists.

2. Shallow engagement signals

The challenge: Vanity metrics like clicks or opens can look good but mean little when it comes to tangible pipeline growth.

The fix: Focus reporting on high-value interactions (meetings, demos, multi-stakeholder activity) and treat surface metrics as indicators, not outcomes.

3. Long decision cycles

The challenge: Momentum fades when accounts go quiet during lengthy evaluation phases.

The fix: Plan nurture tracks that re-engage accounts at different stages by mixing digital touchpoints with direct, offline outreach to stay front of mind.

4. Sales and marketing misalignment

The challenge: If teams run separate plays, accounts get mixed messages, and engagement breaks down.

The fix: Use shared account lists, unified messaging, and joint KPIs so both teams measure success the same way.

5. Data silos

The challenge: Engagement data sits in different systems, making it hard to get a clear account view.

The fix: Integrate CRM, outreach, and analytics platforms so all activity is visible at the account level.

ABE at Sopro: How we approach high-impact engagement at scale

At Sopro, we see account-based engagement as the natural extension of our prospecting expertise and B2B account-based marketing services.

It’s not enough to build the right account list; you need to turn that list into conversations, relationships, and ultimately revenue. Here’s how we secure the best results for your business:

1. Precision targeting

We start with intelligent prospecting: identifying the exact stakeholders inside your target accounts who matter most, and mapping them against your ideal customer profile (ICP).

2. Multi-channel engagement

Email remains the most direct and effective channel, but we layer in LinkedIn, retargeting, and offline touchpoints to keep your brand visible and consistent across the buying journey.

3. Personalisation that scales

Every touchpoint is tailored, not just at the account level, but to the priorities of each stakeholder. Our suite of proprietary tech makes it scalable, and our people make it authentic.

4. Sales and marketing alignment

We bridge the gap between teams by giving both sides visibility into account-level engagement. Marketing sees which campaigns drive traction; sales sees which stakeholders are warming up. Everyone works from the same playbook.

5. Measurable outcomes

Engagement is only valuable if it generates pipeline. We track success in the metrics that matter: conversations started, meetings booked, and opportunities created.

From prospecting lists to lasting engagement

Building a list of target accounts is only half the job. The real work and the real opportunity lie in turning those accounts into active, responsive, revenue-generating relationships.

That’s what Sopro’s specialised account-based engagement delivers: combining precise targeting with personalised, multi-channel outreach that keeps accounts engaged until they convert.

If you’re ready to turn your ABM strategy into measurable engagement and meaningful growth, let’s talk. Book a demo to find out why Sopro is the ABE partner you’ve been looking for.